


Stop Being Dumb For Once.

by alarmclocks



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee Are Best Friends, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT) is Dumb, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Sweet Lee Taeyong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 16:57:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19931419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alarmclocks/pseuds/alarmclocks
Summary: Sometimes, advice isn't what you need.





	Stop Being Dumb For Once.

**Author's Note:**

> this is old (like, the beginning of stanning nct old) sOOOo i havent read it over and it makes me sad reading it for some reason. hopefully, you dont have the same reaction to it.

“Do you think my hair is ‘spaghetti’?” Mark said, sighing a little into his straw, making bubbles at the bottom of his glass. “Donghyuck says it is.”

Taeyong had been here every time Mark had come to complain about whoever Donghyuck is, and each time Taeyong had offered his advice (he seriously hoped Mark was taking it because every time he came back he doubted it even more but that didn’t matter right now). 

That’s not the only problem though. He travels all the way to Taeyong’s little cafe, which by the way is all the way downtown and the transit takes around an hour or two so he doesn’t even know why Mark keeps coming if he never takes his advice (he comes here so often that Taeyong just started giving him chocolate milk from the small refrigerated section).

  
“Donghyuck?” 

“Yeah,” Mark says, hand against his cheek and he looks so tired that Taeyong wished he had at least gotten enough sleep the night before. “Honestly, I don’t even bother telling him to stop anymore. I’ve just gotten used to it.”

“Well, of course, you’ve gotten used to it, he’s been bothering you for a _very_ long time now.” Taeyong frowns and silently reaches below him to offer Mark another chocolate milk, free of charge. 

“Plus, you know what they say about people who bully each other,” Jaehyun says from the chair beside Mark’s, swirling slightly in his chair to see Mark better. “It usually means they like you.”

  
Mark doesn’t like how his ears turn slightly red, but he attempts to balance out how he feels with an attempt at a poker-face.

“As friends?” 

“No, you dumbass,” Jaehyun said, crossing his arms. He looked mildly frustrated, though Mark didn’t absolutely want to pin the blame on himself. Jaehyun had told them he had three exams coming up. “Not as friends, as _more_ than that.”

Mark would’ve said ‘ _like best friends?’_ , but some thoughts are rather left unsaid because the minute he thought it over, it wasn’t that. 

And it wasn’t like Donghyuck was necessarily _bothering_ him, so to speak. He just liked to annoy him but he annoyed anyone that crossed his path, so it didn’t matter. It was a mutual thing, they were close anyway.

Plus, there was that time where Donghyuck took his phone and told him he could only get it back if he gave him a kiss. So, one thing lead to another and -

“I really doubt that, though,” Taeyong says. “It could just be jealousy. People do stuff like that because they’re jealous of what they don’t have.”

With another loud sip of his chocolate milk, Mark knows that’s not what it is. Although it could easily be true from Taeyong’s perspective, it really just _isn’t_.

The only reason he’d come to Taeyong and Jaehyun for help is that everyone else was so useless. 

(Taeil was actually somewhat okay until Mark brought up the kissing. Taeil told him, quote: “Friends don’t kiss like that.”. Johnny said almost the same thing and Ten just said that they should just fuck and then it would stop. In other words, he stopped going to Ten for advice.

So, he just went to Taeyong instead, but left out some of the most important details, because Taeyong might think the same way.)

“That could be it. If worse comes to worst, confront him about it.” Jaehyun says but scooches closer to mark to whisper into his ear. “I truly think it’s the first option though.” 

“I heard that.” Taeyong puts his hands against the counter, a blank face looking back to a smirking Jaehyun. 

“I know.” 

-

Mark didn’t bother taking Taeyong’s advice - again. It’s not like he took his advice anyway, so it didn't matter.

So instead, it’s him and Donghyuck at Mark’s place. Donghyuck was stretching his legs over Mark’s while a movie Mark protested against is playing. It’s not like Mark would get to choose the movie anyway. If Donghyuck already had one in mind, it’s that one. 

Donghyuck can pretend that he doesn’t get scared by the jumpscares, but every time one seems to pop up at him, Mark would feel a sudden shift and suddenly Donghyuck is beside him instead of on him, attached to his hip. 

Mark didn’t bother paying attention to the movie, but it's not like he could with Donghyuck’s head practically attached to his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the other’s head and would’ve fallen asleep if Donghyuck hadn’t jumped (almost off the couch) like his soul was leaving his body.

“I wasn’t scared.” 

Mark just hummed in response, slowly drifting off again. 

When he actually woke (he really _did_ fall asleep by accident, it’s not his fault the movie was really boring), it was because Donghyuck had got up to bring the stereo from his room - an old one at that. It had a Michael Jackson CD lodged in the CD port and they both tried to get it out one time, honest. (They even tried shaking it upside-down rapidly for five minutes but Mark almost threw it at the window when it started slipping)

It still worked though, it played that one album just fine, and neither cared how many times they’ve listened to the same songs for ages. 

“You fell asleep, loser.” Donghyuck sends him a glare before the first song can let itself play. “I had to sneak past Renjun and Jeno, and there was whipped cream involved and I can’t explain why.”

Mark chuckled and pressed play on the stereo, the button itself so covered in random icky stuff it was hard to press down on. 

“You know the dance to this one,” Donghyuck says, an upbeat tune blasting from it. It wasn’t high quality, but it was good enough. 

“And you know the _words_ to this one.” 

So it was them, a mostly broken stereo and a song that’s been on repeat for many years of their lives. But it was familiar, a feeling of being home. It’s not just that though, but it’s also the budding warmth in his chest. It’s unfamiliar, but he lets it slide and instead just enjoys his night. 

-

It was still dark when someone was shaking him, almost violently. He had no idea who it was, what time it was, he just knew he was exhausted and maybe, possibly, in danger. 

  
“Hm?” Mark mumbled. His eyes not bothering to completely open, but it was Donghyuck shaking him, he was sure. 

  
“Mark?” Donghyuck is breathing heavily, blocking out half of what he’s saying. 

“What’s wrong?” Genuine worry got the best of him and suddenly he was wide awake. The last time he had gotten woken up like this from Donghyuck, it was because something bad just happened and he was mid-panic. A horror movie so late into the night probably didn’t help at all, either. 

“I just wanted to make sure you’re still there.” Donghyuck sighs, and then Mark hears a sniffle. “I just wanted to know if you’re still there.” 

“Deep breaths.” Mark takes deep breaths to demonstrate, and Donghyuck follows. “I’m always here for you, okay?” 

“Okay,” Donghyuck says, still taking deep breaths as Mark wraps his arms around Donghyuck. He wasn’t planning on ever letting go, so he lies down, the younger still in his arms as Mark brings the blanket up over them. 

“Sleep here, yeah? You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” 

And that’s when at five in the morning, Mark realizes how deeply in love he is with his best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic feels like a bad omen or smth


End file.
